The University of Pennsylvania’s online business analysis journal recently released a special report exploring the idea of sustainability in hospital purchasing, according to an article on the Healthcare Finance News website.
While the healthcare industry recognizes the need to reduce its impact on the environment, sustainability isn’t always a high priority among the decision makers at individual U.S. hospitals because of increased financial pressures due to healthcare reform, the article said.
The savings from sustainable practices in healthcare could total $15 billion over 10 years, according to the article. Some tips on sustainability include:
• Establish priorities
• Consider reduced packaging and reusability
• Target supply chain metrics
• Reduce waste
• Source locally